Paradise -Type-0-
by Dakk Tribal
Summary: Ace finds himself on an island with Deuce, his girlfriend, and he thinks now is the best time to try and be more open with her about their relationship, all the while dealing with a man who wants her for himself. / Ace Deuce fluff, I really like these two together / Lemon
1. Chapter 1

The sweetest melody Ace had ever heard proved to be the factor in waking him up.

The sunlight from outside nearly blinded him when he opened his eyes, and the all-white room didn't help.

He sat up in the bed, his eyes finding nothing about it to be the least bit familiar. The red carpet and the whitewalls could have been the fancy room in Akademia were it not for the simplicity of it all. Besides the bed the only furniture in the room was a small circular table in the center of the room and the two wooden chairs that came with it. Besides that and the two bedside tables on either side of the bed the room had nothing to tell him of where he was. He certainly didn't know where he was.

However, as pressing a matter as that was, the music he was hearing got his attention more.

The sound was originating outside a pair of glass doors that were open. The white curtains swayed in the breeze as Ace made his way to the doors. He only had to peer outside to see that a beautiful girl was sitting on the white stone railing playing a flute. She was brunette with long tresses along her temples, and longer down her back. She wore the same Class Zero uniform that Ace wore, complete with the crimson red cape the class was known for.

Ace recognized her as Deuce, one of the girls of his class and the melody she was playing he knew by heart. It was the same melody she played whenever she was uneasy in order to calm herself down.

For a few long minutes Ace stood in the doorway of the balcony and listened to Deuce play her flute, not wanting to stop her. Why would any sensible person want to interrupt such a beautiful thing?

Once she finished playing her song, Deuce slowly lowered her flute to her lap and took a big breath of air, seemingly relaxed at long last did Ace finally speak.

"That was beautiful, Deuce."

She turned to see Ace standing near her and she smiled, "Thank you, Ace. I hope you slept well."

"I did, though when I woke up I was kind of overwhelmed by what I found."

Deuce looked out at the beach and ocean that stretched forever beyond the balcony she was standing on. "It's a beautiful sight to see, though I am concerned about how we got here."

Ace couldn't answer her, though he tried hard to find a suitable one he couldn't.

He walked back into the room and made a last moment recon of it. He felt rather uneasy about the room, though he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Deuce followed him back into the room, walking over to the table and setting her flute down on the top. "I woke up on the bed next to you, and I couldn't leave through the front door I just went out to the balcony and stayed there the whole time."

It was at that moment that Ace realized that there was indeed only one bed in the entire room. Not so much as a couch was found, which meant that even if though he had not chosen to do so, he had shared a bed with Deuce. That thought made him all flustered both inside and out.

He must have been visibly flustered too, as he heard Deuce ask, "Why is your face all red?"

Ace tried to hide himself by looking in another direction, "Must be the heat..." He undid the straps of his coat and walked to the end of the room.

She smiled lightly, "It's not that hot in here, though." She took a seat at the table, "You look like you're going to be ill."

'That's beside the point,' he thought. "I'll be fine." It wasn't the idea of how he felt this way that made him uneasy it was the fact that it was happening so fast that made him feel ill. He silently cursed whoever got the idea to have him share a bed with Deuce. 'We aren't far enough in our...relationship to have that as an option!'

Back home at Akademia, despite the rule of affectionate relationships being banned as part of their training, Class Zero had two notable instances where that rule was not applied. The main one was classified as the worst kept secret of the class, that being Ace's strong relationship with Deuce. The two tried to keep it secret from the rest of the school but thanks to that blockhead Nine the entire school eventually found out about it. Deuce had taken it badly, since she was the one who urged it to be kept secret, and she stopped talking to Ace for nearly a week as a result. Their Mother Arecia was one of the few who allowed them to have feelings for each other as well as remain together, as long as it didn't get too tangled with their military goals that is.

Deuce and Ace then tried to keep any sensual contact minimal, holding hands was the farthest they ever got when in the school. Still, as much as Ace cherished her, Deuce was less apprehensive than he was about their privacy. She talked about him to the other girls of the class, albeit in favorable terms and never spoke about what they did when they were alone, while Ace got enough crap from the guys to the point where he gave them little to no information about Deuce.

Still in the long run, Ace had trouble moving the relationship at a pace that was not comfortable with him. Thankfully, Deuce was more supportive and tried to share the lead when she could. It helped ease him into being affectionate with her.

"Ace?"

The teen was brought out of his daze as he saw Deuce standing next to him, her hands holding onto his arm.

"You sure you're alright?"

Still visibly upset ace tried to hide it from Deuce. She didn't need to hear about his personal discomfort. The worst case scenario he felt would be her thinking she was the problem instead. He didn't want that for a girl as sweet as her to think she was at fault when it was his own.

He gave her a reassuring smile, the best he could make, "Yeah..."

She smiled in return, "Good, because I think room service is here."


	2. Chapter 2

Even with the loud waterfall in the background, the sound of Deuce's flute could be heard echoing in the lagoon.

Ace had gone to explore the area while his girlfriend had remained in the lagoon itself and waited for him to return. When he came back he found her sitting on a large rock in the center of the lagoon. The waterfall in the background behind her caused Ace to pause and admire the scene. What he saw would have made a great painting, to be honest.

Using the stones to get across the water to where she sat, Ace tried not to scare Deuce as she played.

She saw him approach and stopped when he reached her, "Find anything?"

Ace shook his head, "We're the only ones around her I think."

As he waited for her response, Ace's eyes began to wander. The moment they had stepped out of the resort, the Class Zero cadets' outfits had changed. Ace went from his uniform to white swim shorts that had a large number thirteen on the right front side and a white tank top.

Deuce had changed too, hence his eyes wandered.

She had gone from her uniform to a two piece bikini with a horizontal white and blue stripe pattern. It was form fitting and as hard as he tried Ace couldn't take his eyes off his girlfriend's body, hence why he left earlier to gather himself before returning to her side.

In retrospect he might have been better off staying with her.

The waterfall created a mist that got everything in the lagoon wet on the surface, and that included Deuce. Her body was covered with perspiration and her suit as well as her hair was soaked. Then, there was the fact that it was cold in the lagoon, and her body showed that too. It was taking all the will power in the world for Ace to not stare at her.

Too bad she caught his first glance.

"It isn't polite to stare, Ace," she said.

"I wasn't staring…I swear it," he tried to lie.

She saw through it though, but she didn't appear to be upset with him. "It's alright. I know all of this has to be difficult for you."

"You mean the being on a weird island alone with no idea how we got here?"

Deuce giggled, "No, the part where I am dressed like this in front of you. You're easily flustered and I find it adorable."

Ace looked away from her, hiding his obvious blush.

Deuce got off the rock she had been sitting on; putting her flute in the strap she had on her right thigh.

She took a few steps around him and admired the waterfall. Such a sight was hard to find back home in Orience, and for a beautiful place to be untouched by the ravages of war.

"Is this what peace looks like?"

Ace turned to look at the waterfall, and he swore he could see a rainbow forming in the falling water. "Not sure I even know what it could look like."

War was a constant, and even if war wasn't imminent then battle was right around the corner for the classes of Akademia. Both Ace and Deuce knew that, and for their whole lives they knew nothing else.

To many, war was as common as work or play, and both were dominated by it.

As Ace peered up at the falls, he failed to notice Deuce move around him and hold onto his right arm, resting her head upon his shoulder.

At first he was taken by surprise, but the moment he saw her face was content and at ease, he held back any words he was going to say.

Maybe this is what peace could look like?


	3. Chapter 3

Despite the rest of the island being available to them, Ace and Deuce remained in the lagoon for the entire afternoon. Both did so for different reasons. Deuce had remained because she enjoyed the scenery and the peaceful feeling she had being there, while Ace just wanted to be by his girlfriend's side.

The sun was beginning to go past the top of the waterfall, signaling the beginning of the end of the afternoon hours and yet there was still enough sun for Deuce to bask in the sun. The large rock in the center of the lagoon proved to be a very good sunbathing spot and she was enjoying every second of it.

So was Ace, who couldn't stop staring at Deuce as she relaxed. Right now she was lying on her front side with her head resting on her hands and Ace's eyes were on her back and steadily going down her body. Earlier he would have kicked himself for staring so much but Deuce had given him her blessing to do so, as it was only natural as a couple that he be allowed to check out his girlfriend. Especially given she was wearing the most revealing outfit he had ever seen her in.

Eventually Deuce raised her head and slowly kicked her legs to get her joints moving again. She got up and sat on the rock, rolling her neck around her shoulders to loosen her muscles. "You're rather quiet Ace."

The young man blinked, snapped out of his trance by Deuce's words. "Uh...just not in a talkative mood I guess..."

Deuce sighed before lying back on the rock. Her front was rather sore from laying on the hard surface and so she ran her hands up and down her torso and abdomen to give it a massage to loosen up her muscles. Her chest in particular ached, but just after she started to massage that spot she opened her right eye and saw that Ace was looking in another direction, his face as red as the Class Zero color.

Deuce understood why, but couldn't hold back her slight amusement. She didn't enjoy torturing him, nor did she try to intentionally. 'He looks so cute when he's flustered.' "Ace, it's okay to look."

"Watching you do that was a bit much..." he said quickly, his nervousness apparent in his voice.

Deuce sat up on her elbows, "I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what..." he started to say but quickly changed gears. He gathered up his thoughts. "We've been going out for a while now...and yet I feel so immature. I would like us to be intimate especially in private, but I just...feel so frustrated at being so hesitant."

Deuce noticed the frustration in his voice and she understood where he was coming from. "Take your time, Ace. No need to rush on my behalf."

If she had been less accepting of Ace's feelings she would have dumped him by now for his hesitation, yet she wasn't that type of girlfriend. She knew he was doing more so because he wanted to treat her with the respect and affection she was deserving of. She loved him because of this caring side of him and wasn't going to jeopardize that all for the sake of intimacy. She was willing to wait for as long as he needed in order to come out of his shell.

However, that didn't mean she wasn't going to help him along.

"I can help you with that if it will make you feel better."

Ace looked into her eyes, and noticed the cute smile she gave him. He was slightly suspicious of it, "Huh?"

She laid back down on the rock, closing her eyes and still smiling, "I'll show you later, okay?"

Ace had no idea what she could be planning but if it was to help him get closer to her he was at least willing to give it a try.

The day gave way to evening, and so the day was coming to an end for the moogles at Mog's Resort. Thus, the next step of the day was being put into effect.

"Curfew is in effect, Mister Mog, and all the guests are in the hotel, kupo."

The staff of the resort was finishing up their rounds, putting papers away and cleaning up the desks while making sure everything was ready for the following morning. There was even a moogle checking the weather forecast for the next seven days, making sure the weather was in optimal conditions for a tropical vacation.

Mister Mog was floating around with his entourage of smaller moogles getting updates from them. For one moogle to run a resort was indeed a daunting challenge Mog didn't show any signs of stress at the job. He had been running it for a very long time, and had yet to run into something that would drive him nuts. Save for Kupo Nuts, that is.

He checked off a request form another moogle had offered him and moved onto another pressing matter. "By the way, I heard that the rocks behind the waterfall are cracking, kupo."

The smaller moogle named Mooge nodded, "Yes sir, kupo! Seems the gradual disintegration of the water on the rocks is making it crack."

"Why hadn't I been notified of this before? This could pose a threat to our guests, kupo!"

"We only discovered it today, kupo! A few guests notified us of rocks falling in the lagoon and we inspected it later in the afternoon. We plan to block off a section of the lagoon as a precautionary measure to ensure the safety of everyone, kupo. After that we will begin working to make it stable again."

Mog sighed, "Well, least we found it before it crashed. Things could be a lot worse, kupo."

The two moogles then heard squeaking that gave them the impression that something was off. The moogle behind the large computer screen was going bonkers. So much so that his pom-pom looked like it would fly off any moment, "Mister Mog! We have a problem, kupo!"

Quickly the moogles all gathered around the desk but moved out of Mog's way when he approached, "What is it, kupo?" Going through his mind was all sorts of calamitous problems that could be the problem: ships discovering the island, an eidolon emerging from within the island, or even a swarm of vegetarian bugs that could eat the island's vegetation all went through his mind. However, none of those turned out to be the problem.

The smaller moogle brought a picture of a nasty looking storm heading towards the island, "It's terrible, kupo! Tropical storm fast approaching!"

The other moogles gave signs of panic but Mog remained steadfast.

"I see...and it doesn't look like it is going to miss us either, kupo..." There had been threats of tropical storms and hurricanes in the past but by multiple strokes of luck the resort had always been spared. This time the storm seemed to be heading right for it with no sign of diverting its path. What bothered Mog however was how fast the storm had formed; it was like it had come from out of nowhere.

"How long until it gets here, kupo?"

The moogle typed away at the keyboard and kept its eyes on the computer screen, "This time tomorrow night it will be at our doorstep, kupo. We should have visuals on it by sunrise though. We'll get the full force of it when it arrives, kupo!"

Another moogle approached the desk, "What should we do sir? We might have to lock down the island and keep everyone inside-"

Mog wasn't paying attention to anyone around him. Not out of panic or nervousness, the gears in his head were turning and protocols for such an event were beginning to be made in his mind.

He knew what needed to be done. "Nobody panic. I know what to do, kupo. It will take all night but we can do it, kupo."

Following the announcement of the curfew Ace and Deuce returned to their hotel room. Ace was still trying to figure out what his girlfriend had meant from helping him earlier. Deuce was a stubborn and determined girl and when she had her mind set on something she was hard to dissuade. Yet the girl wasn't talking about her plan to him and it was irking him because he didn't know what to expect.

He forgot about that for a few moments when he entered the bedroom and noticed a silver food cart next to the table. A full course meal was on multiple plates and was a variety of healthy and delicious dishes. Not only was there dinner but Ace also saw that there were a couple small piles of folded clothes on the bed. One was black and the other white, and one the black one there was a piece of paper with his name on it while Deuce's was on the other.

Still dressed in her bikini Deuce grabbed the set of clothes designated for her and held it close to her chest, "I'll go get cleaned up. Be right back."

Ace watched her as she walked to the bathroom and closed the door behind her. He sighed, his stomach growled to let him know that he was hungry, but he decided to wait. He wanted to at least get a clue as to what his girlfriend was up to before long.

A few minutes later and Deuce came back out. She was wearing a white tank top and matching pajama shorts, similar to what she wore back at the academy at night. She had also taken a quite shower as Ace could smell a flowery fragrance coming off of her as she approached him and her hair was still damp.

The aroma of the food on the table made her feel hungry as well, but as much of a pleasant thought that it was there was something else on her mind.

"Before we eat, Ace, would you like to take the time and practice with me?"

Ace raised his head and set the form he was using on the table, "What do you mean by practice?"

Grabbing his hand Deuce pulled Ace from the table and stood with him in front of the open balcony doors. Holding hands had been something they had done before in private so Ace was more comfortable doing that than anything else at this stage in their relationship.

But unknown to Ace, his girlfriend fully intended to go at least half a step further than that with what she had in mind with this 'practice session'.

Deuce looked up into her boyfriend's eyes, and from the expression on his face he was on guard. Yet she knew a way around his defenses. "Holding hands is step one." She held up his hands and her grip tightened slightly. He returned the grip with his own lightly.

A good start. Next came step two.

She released his hands from her grip and brought them to rest on her shoulders. She could feel his hands shaking on her body. "Now, go ahead and move your hands."

Ace turned red in the face, he was already past the point of no return and yet he hadn't a clue as to what to do next. "Move them...where?"

Deuce gave an encouraging smile, "Anywhere you want."

Ace would have fainted had he been less of a man than he was, and yet he was still as a statue.

"Ace...it's okay."

With heavy hands Ace slowly began to move, they went down Deuce's arms and stopped at her elbows. He felt panic well up inside his being, and in that panic put his arms around his girlfriend's waist and pulled her to him. He held her in a tight embrace with his hands in the small of her back.

"I...think I got to step two...I hope..."

Deuce giggled aloud, "You certainly did Ace. It's a start."

Still, it was more progress he had made in a few minutes than he had made in a few months, and that was a victory in Deuce's mind. It was indeed a start.


	4. Meet Lorne

A/N: This chapter has a suggestive section, so please take caution.

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Waking up to the sound of clanging metal and glass Ace shot up from the bed and sat right up, ready to reach for his deck of cards that were on his bedside table. That was when he noticed the humidity. The air was so terribly hot Ace couldn't believe he had managed to sleep through the night.

The source of the notice was a moogle working on his breakfast cart, and he was startled by Ace's sudden movements.

"Sorry, kupo! I didn't mean to startle you!"

"It's alright...just caught me off guard..." His heart beat had gone into overdrive but now that he realized there was no danger he tried to calm it down. He stretched his limbs and looked around. He noticed that he was alone on the bed. Deuce was gone. "Hey, have you seen Deuce?"

The moogle seemed to be finishing his cart and there was evidence that he had served someone prior to Ace waking up. "Your girlfriend? Yeah, kupo. She had her breakfast while you slept. She asked me to give you this once you woke up, kupo."

Holding a piece of paper in his paws the moogle set it on the table and finished with the cleaning of its cart.

Ace got up from the bed and went on over to the table to read the paper. Inside was a simple yet elegantly hand written sentence that consisted of three words:

"Come find me."

It was signed by Deuce, and Ace realized that she had challenged him to a game, and that was one of the few things that got him going. The gambler found a smirk starting to form in the corner of his mouth.

It was game time.

Following her own breakfast nearly an hour earlier Deuce had decided to have a little fun with her boyfriend in her own special way. Of course she wanted to have fun with him but she didn't think spending a typical romantic day on the beach would be good enough, especially in this heat. So she thought she'd play a makeshift game of hide and seek. Dressed in a bikini similar to the one she wore the other day Deuce set out on her little game.

The moogles had been helpful, encouraging her to go to the lagoon as it was the coolest place on the island in case of a heatwave. Taking that advice to heart Deuce went to the lagoon and waited. After a while she thought she'd play her flute while she waited for Ace to find her.

Was it a bit of a hint as to her location? No doubt, but she also needed something to do. So, she played a calm and soothing tune. With the music in the air and the waterfall in the background, one would think the scene was right to of a mythological story and Deuce was the beautiful maiden of said story. Standing on the center rock in the middle of the pool she played her flute and was like a siren doing so.

She continued to play without a care in the world, and she lowered her guard to the point that she failed to realize she was being watched. Watched by someone that was not her boyfriend.

"Hey there beautiful."

Deuce stopped playing and lowered her arms to her sides, turning to the source of the voice. She saw that it was not Ace but some other young man she had never seen before. He stood on the lower rock near where she stood, looking up at her with a sly smile that sort of creeped her out. "Who are you?"

"Call me Lorne. I heard a beautiful tune and thought I'd find the source," he answered and soon his eyes looked Deuce up and down. His expression showed that he liked what he saw, and that alone sent a shiver up Deuce's spine. "Didn't expect to find it coming from a beauty like you."

Trying to brush off this man's advances Deuce crossed her arms over her chest and turned away. "It wasn't meant for you."

Lorne promptly climbed up onto the rock Deuce stood on and it was there that Deuce noticed how tall he was. He towered over her, and added to his physical build he was imposing to say the least. With tattoos on his arms and a muscular build that any girl would admire she just couldn't get over the bad vibe she felt coming from him. "Ever since I got to this island I needed something to have fun. Why don't we go get a drink at the sand bar? You and me could have a good time."

Deuce was in full defense mode, and she deployed her ultimate defense shy of physical force. "I'm here with my boyfriend."

He seemed taken aback at first, and Deuce hoped that would force him to back off, but to her chagrin he took it like it was nothing. "Sure you are. How could a guy leave his girl alone?"

For the first time Deuce turned her head in his direction, "I'd waste my time trying to explain it to the likes of you." Normally Deuce was a sweet and kindhearted girl to those around her, but she was also a force to be reckoned with when crossed. And with this man, she was far crossed, and she had only just met him. Her insult hit him like a brick wall and Lorne only smirked.

He moved with a speed that caught Deuce by surprise and grabbed her flute. "Not nice to insult people when they only want to have a good time."

Deuce tried to reach for her flute but Lorne held it over his head well out of her reach. "Give it back!"

She tried to reach for it but even standing on the tips of her toes couldn't get her close.

Lorne had her at a disadvantage and he knew it. "I'll give it back if you just have a drink with me."

Deuce wasn't going to play that game. "I'd rather date a Flan than deal with you!"

She lunged for the flute but Lorne moved to the side and she missed. As she passed him he used his free hand to smack her backside. Punishment for her insult.

"HEY!" Deuce's hands went to her bottom and her eyes flashed with anger as her cheeks went red. Needless to say she hated that.

Lorne twirled the flute in his fingers, "Keep this up and it will be worse."

His threat didn't faze Deuce. She was so flushed with anger at his game of keep away that she went into attack mode. "I'll show you worse if you don't give me my flute back!"

Lorne dropped the flute and Deuce lunged for it in a crouch. Too bad it was all a ploy and she fell for it. She failed to grab the flute before Lorne wrapped a muscular arm around her waist and forced her to remain bent over.

Realizing he had a hold of her Deuce began to kick and claw in an attempt to escape. "Let me go!"

Forcing her over his bent knee Lorne pressed his hand down on her lower back and he kept her pinned down even while she tried to fight herself free. He had her right where he wanted. "Now I will show you how I handle chicks like you." Putting an exclamation point on his threat he grabbed Deuce's swimsuit bottoms and yanked them up, giving her a tight wedgie that made her gasp. Her skin was more exposed now and Lorne liked what he saw. "Nice ass, little girl."

"Pervert!" She gasped as he yanked again. This time she arched her back in a curve across his leg.

Lorne licked his lips, "Very nice…" Then in a sickening gesture he ran his tongue across the palm of his free hand. "Time for your spanking." He raised his hand high and brought it down hard on Deuce's helpless backside.

Deuce heard that last word and she shrieked. Her eyes went wide because of the pain, and when he smacked her again she tried to flail her arms and kick her legs. Eventually Lorne brought both her hands to rest on her lower back and held them there. "BASTARD! Let me go!"

Lorne smiled, "No." He continued to smack her over and over and with each blow Deuce shouted in pain. She kicked her legs frantically and the last blow he gave her hit her skin so hard that she shrieked like a banshee. It echoed through the lagoon and out to the jungle.

Her legs grew tired from the kicking, and to catch her breath Deuce's body went limp. Lorne then tapped her reddened bottom with his hand, grinning like a cat, "We're not done yet, little girl." He raised his hand again to continue her punishment.

Firing on all cylinders Deuce shouted with righteous fury. "Damn you!".

That was when a bright colored object hit him square in the temple. "OW!"

Deuce raised her head when she realized something had happened. She felt his hand leave her lower back and she swiftly rolled off his knee, scurrying away from the evil man but not before she managed to retrieve her once stolen flute.

As for Lorne the attack continued as more of the flying objects his upper body and one even got him square in the nose. Blood burst as it shattered like glass and he was sent flying backwards and off the rock.

Ignoring the pain in her backside Deuce ran across the water but collapsed before she could reach the shore. The pain was too much for her to bare.

"Deuce!" The familiar and comforting voice of Ace echoed through the lagoon as he ran over to his fallen girlfriend, holding a handful of cards in his right hand. That was where the bright objects had come from.

Deuce looked up at him with relieved eyes. She was in pain and knew she'd have a hard time sitting down for the foreseeable future but she managed to struggle out a smile. "What took you?"

Ace couldn't bring himself to feel anything other than shame. He had only managed to find her after he had heard her screaming from atop the slope. "...let me help you up."

Deuce's smiled faded as her boyfriend scooped her up into his arms, carefully carrying her bridal style out of the pool. He wouldn't normally do this but the circumstances forced his shyness to the flank and he had his girlfriend as top priority.

As they went back up the slope Lorne struggled to get to his feet nursing his broken nose. He was seething, and he was not done with those two.


	5. Evening

**Got to ask for the public opinion, bt how are the stories doing? What is working and what could be better? Anyone have any ideas? Please share and, like always, enjoy!**

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"This guy did _what_ to your girlfriend, kupo?"

Sighing at having to explain himself again, Ace's tone showed his irritation. That and repeating that his girlfriend had been spanked by a stranger wasn't the most comfortable thing to ever say out loud. "He hurt her, isn't that enough?"

The moogle, sensing his anger, took what he was told. "S-Sorry, kupo! I just—that sounds like such a terrible thing to do I can't believe anyone could do it—"

Agreeing with the moogle Ace finished giving the details of the attack to him. It had been nearly an hour after Deuce had been attacked, and Ace wanted to keep her safe from another possible assault. So, they returned to their room and locked themselves down. Deuce had been quiet for the majority of the time since, though Ace noted to some relief that she played her flute from time to time. Right now she was in the bathroom, though she didn't tell him what for.

"Okay, kupo. We will look for this guy and deal with him when we find him. Take care, kupo."

The moogle left the room and Ace closed the door behind him. He was still beating himself up about what had opened earlier. 'If only I have come sooner…'

He went over to the bathroom door and gently knocked, "Deuce? You okay?" It had been awhile since she had entered, and he was worried about her.

She responded quickly enough to alieve some of his worry. "Yeah, just tending to my skin…"

She didn't have to say any more than that. "Alright, just making sure…I'm here if you need me."

He held his breath, waiting for her to reply. He rested his forehead against the door.

"I know. Thank you, Ace."

He remained in that spot until he heard the door handle begin to turn and when Deuce opened the door Ace immediately put his arms around her. This sudden show of affection caught the girl by surprise, but she appreciated it nonetheless. She was dressed in her night dress, even though it was early afternoon she had no intention of going outside for the rest of the day.

Ace took his arms from around Deuce and placed his hands on her shoulders. Her hair was wet and freshly brushed, having just taken a shower to relieve some of the pain she was feeling. She wore the night gown issued to her by the moogles.

"You okay?" asked Ace.

Deuce smiled lightly, trying to hide any pain she felt for Ace's sake. "It stings a little, but other than that I'll be alright. I put some lotion on to relieve it some."

The young man sighed lightly, "I am so sorry I didn't find you sooner. If I had only been there he wouldn't have done what he did. I'm such a useless boyfriend."

He wasn't exaggerating about how he felt. Ever since he and Deuce had gotten together he had promised, to both her and himself, that he would watch out for her and protect her from harm. He had failed that promise today.

If he had expected Deuce to berate him he was proven wrong as she put her hands on his cheeks and forced him to look her in the eyes. His eyes were sullen and full of regret, but the moment he saw her smiling up at him his mind was cleared of negative thoughts. She had shed her tears earlier, but those had been for the physical pain. Deuce had proven to people that she was a lot tougher than her delicate appearance let on, and it was how tough she was that she wasn't crying in a corner right now. "You came for me, that's all I care about."

Her words softened his mind and steeled his heart. "From now on I will never leave your side, for any reason." He brought his hands to hers and gave them a reassuring squeeze.

They held hands and Deuce loved what he had told her. Though she didn't blame him for what happened, she was glad he had stepped up a bit more. She couldn't help but feel a bit of pride in being his significant other in this relationship.

Holding his hands Deuce got up on her toes and planted a kiss on his unsuspecting cheek. "Don't beat yourself up over me, Ace. I'm alright. I promise."

He closed his eyes and Deuce held him close, her hands on his chest where she could feel the beating of his heart and heard his soft breathing.

Then Deuce added in a whisper, "Though there is something I want from you…"

Ace opened his eyes and saw his girlfriend blushing up at him.

"Mind carrying me like you did at the lagoon?"

Ace had carried her bridal style out of the lagoon and to the beach, and that memory had forever been burned into the girl's mind more so than the spanking she had received from Lorne. She couldn't help but feel all giddy inside from just thinking about it.

Ace smiled lightly, "With pleasure." He wasted little time in scooping Deuce up into his arms, and she squealed in surprise as he carried her to bed. He was in a better mood already, and it only got better as he cuddled with Deuce until they both fell asleep.


End file.
